Steam ditching apparatus



`(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l JQC. MeoEE. STEAM ETTGEINe APPARATUS.

No... 284,9 1. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

' INVESTOR.

M/WJ bam/Ta,

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A J.Ie. MOORE. STEAM DITCHING APPARATUS. l No. 284,971. Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

'WITNESSBS: y I l 3 Sheets-'Sheet 3..

(No Model.)

J. C. MOORE. STEAM DITGHING APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

, INVENTOR. fa/mu 0. www,

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES JAMES O. MOORE, OF BROOKSTON, ASSIGNOR OFv ONE-HALF TO TURIIE BROTHERS, OF MON ON, INDIANA.

STEAM DI-T'CHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Letters Patent No, 284,971, dated september 11, 1883.

Application inea Mey 13, isst. (No model.)

,To all whom t may concern: A

diana, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Steam Ditching Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings vis a top or plan',

View of my ditching apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same on the linexx, Fig. l. Fig. 4. is a detail view, and Fig. 5 isa perspective view, of one of the scoops. Fig'. 6 is a view of the scoop, bail, and prop-trip, the scoop having been inverted or dumped.

This invention has relation to steam ditching-machines, and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the self-dumping and self-righting scoops connected to the hauling-cables, the lever-bails and pendent prop-trips in connection with the scoops, the reversing-shaft, its clutchand sprocket-wheels, their bearing-slide, and the lever devices for moving the same, the slotted reversing-lever and its weighted holding arms or checks,and the bearing-pulleys for the hauling-rope, all as hereinafter set forth. y

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA designates a strong frame or support for the operating-shafts and gearing. In bearings a on this frame is seatedapower-shaft, B, which is designed to be connected with the drivingshaft of an engine by means of sprocket-wheels and a link-belt; or a link-belt may extend from a sprocket-wheel on the engine-shaft to a sprocket-wheel, b, on the transverse drivingshaft O of this machine, which carries two sprocket-wheels, D and D.

E represents the reversing-shaft, carrying the loose sprocket-wheels F and F, which are connected to the sprocket-wheels D and D by the link-belts G and G. The link-belt G passes around both sprocket-wheels D and F, while the link-belt G passes around the loose sprocket-wheel F, under the sprocket-wheel .wheel F 'havin the intermediate s rocket- D, and around a small sprocket-wheel, D2, se-

cured in bearings D3, extending inwardly from the rear cross-beam of the frame A, as shown.

On the central portion of the shaft E,be-

tween the adjustable sprocket-wheels F, is se- 55 cured a clutch-collar, H, and each sprocket- Wheel F F is formed with'corresponding clutchteeth on the inside face of its hub portion, to engage said clutch-collar. The outside hub portion-Of each of thesesprocket-wheels FF is provided with a neck-bearing, c, which e11- gages a bearing, d, at the end of an arm, K, which is attached to a bearing slide or transverse bar, L, seated loosely in guides c on the frame. either sprocket-wheel F or F can be brought By4 moving this slide-bar laterally 65 into engagement with the clutch-collar H, so

that the motion of the shaft E can be readily reversed while the driving-shaft O is turning continuously in the same direction, for the/7c reason that the sprocket-wheel F will beturned by its link-belt G, when in engagement with the clutch H, in the same direction as the sprocket-wheels D and D, while the sprocketwheel, D, between it and the sprocket-wheel D2, engaging only the upper line of the endless link-belt G', will be turned toward the sprocket-wheel D when the clutch H engages its clutch-teeth.

The movement of the transverse bearingslide L is effected by means of alev'er, N, which is pivoted to a bearing on the frame, and connected by aslot at its outer end to an arm, g, of the transverse horizontal lever I), which is also pivoted to a bearing on the frame, as indicated at h. works in a slot in the center of the bearingslide'L, as shown in dotted lines. By moving this lever P obliquely to the right or to the left, one or the other of the sprocket-wheels F or F is brought into engagement with the shaft E and governs its movement.

To the rear portion of the supporting-frame is pivoted ahandle-lever, R, the arms of which extend transversely and are connected to the slotted arms of the reversing-leverP by means of wires or rope connections k. The lever R The inner end of the lever N p IOO l The scoops S are formed with side Walls, l, and are provided with bails m, which are pivoted to the front portions of said side Walls. These bails are levers, and each one has an eX- tension or arm, n, Which is connected to the haulingchain 1' by a link or other suitable connecting device. The bail-lever m is provided With a pivoted arm or spur, jp, constituting a pendent prop-trip of suicient length to support the bail in an inclined and raised position when said prop-trip is resting by its lower end on the ground or on the top or bottom surface of the scoop, to dump and replace the scoop. The friction created by the contact of the scoop with the ground as the scoop is drawn either toward or fromthe machine is sufficient to aiford a resistance that will enable the cable -to dump or replace the scoop at Will.

W W indicate channeled Wheels on shafts V and on the reversing-shaft E, which are designed to engage and guide the cable-chain r through the machine, into and out of which the cable-chain passes through the slots s, which are formed in the arms of the reversing-lever P. By means of these slots s and stops ton the cable-chain o engaging the same `when said chain is moving toward the machine, and the scoops have arrived at the ends of their respective paths, -the leverP is moved suiciently to operate the clutch-bearing slide L, and thereby to reverse automatically the movement of the hauling-chain.

When the scoops have become loaded in their progress through the soil, ythey can be dumped by simply reversing the movement of thehauling-cable. Vhen this is done the action of the scoop in dumping is automatic, Aas the prop-trip engages its upper surface and holds the lever-bail in such position that its end is over the rear edge ofthe scoop. The reversed draft of the cable easily turns the scoop over. By again reversing the movement of the chaincable the scoop is enabled to right itself, the pendent spur or trip engaging its bottom surface, and thusholding the lever-bail up andin rigid position, so that the draft of the chain Vcable acts to pull the scoop over into its normal position for fwork.

To the ends of the reversing-lever P flexible arms z are connected, said arms engaging bearings fv, through which they slide, and carrying Weights w on their ends, and serving as `holding devices or checks to prevent the casual movement of the reversing-lever by -the friction of the chainlcable.

Pulley-blocks Z Z are secured to strong posts or. abutments at the farther end of the field or area to be ditched, opposite the machine, and through these pulley-blocks the endless haulingcable passes.

Having' described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a ditching-machine, the combination, With a reversing-cable, of the self-dumping and self-righting scoops, provided with the lever-bails m and prop-trips p, substantially as specified.

2. In a ditching-machine, the scoop S, its lever-bail m, and the pendent prop-trip p, pivoted to the lever-bail, substantially as speciiied.

3. In a ditching-machine, the slotted rcversing -lever P, through which the cable chain o' passes, the stops t of the cable chain fr, and the holding arms or checks z w, connected to said reversing-lever, substantially as specified. I

4. In a ditching-machine, the combination,

with the slotted reversing-lever P, the hauling-cable r, and the reversing-shaft E, its clutch-collar'H, and sprocket-wheels F F', of the bearing-slide L, connected to the lever P by the lever N and arm g, as shown7 and the Wheels W, over which the hauling-cable passes through the machine, substantially as speci,- fied.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence 9o of two Witnesses.

JAMES C. MOORE.

Vitn esses IsRAEL J. BORDNER, WILLIAM H. LoWDnBf. 

